Cargo monitoring method and arrangement

• US 8,786,437 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US13/852,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340517-521
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/02 by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic massesG01P15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

Method and arrangement for monitoring cargo includes coupling an inertial measurement unit to the cargo such that accelerations of the cargo are detected by the inertial measurement unit, monitoring, using a processor, the accelerations of the cargo as detected by the inertial measurement unit, and generating a warning based on the monitoring of the accelerations. The warning may be generated when the detected acceleration is excessive in magnitude, duration or frequency and/or when integration of the detected acceleration is indicative of excessive velocity, angular velocity or angular displacement.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring cargo when present in a container, comprising:

coupling a measurement unit including a plurality of accelerometers to the cargo, the measurement unit including three accelerometers configured to detect acceleration in three orthogonal directions;

detecting accelerations of the cargo in the three orthogonal directions using the measurement unit;

monitoring, using a processor, the detected accelerations of the cargo, said monitoring step comprising configuring the processor to use pattern recognition to convert data related to the accelerations of the cargo detected by the measurement unit into an output indicative of an event causing the accelerations of the cargo;

generating a warning based on the output indicative of the event causing the accelerations of the cargo; and

transmitting information about the event causing the accelerations of the cargo to a site separate and apart from the container using a communication system coupled to the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement unit includes a plurality of gyroscopes such that the measurement unit constitutes an inertial measurement unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement unit includes a plurality of gyroscopes, further comprising detecting angular accelerations of the cargo using the gyroscopes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting at least one of the detected accelerations at a site off of the cargo based on data from a GPS system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a measurement unit correction to the detected accelerations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the cargo.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor executes a pattern recognition algorithm when monitoring the accelerations of the cargo.

8. A method for monitoring cargo when present in a container, comprising:

coupling a measurement unit including a plurality of accelerometers to the cargo, the measurement unit including three accelerometers configured to detect acceleration in three orthogonal directions;

detecting accelerations of the cargo in the three orthogonal directions using the measurement unit;

determining a location of the cargo to enable monitoring of location of the cargo;

monitoring, using a processor, the detected accelerations of the cargo, said monitoring step comprising configuring the processor to use pattern recognition to convert data related to the accelerations of the cargo detected by the measurement unit into an output indicative of an event causing the accelerations of the cargo;

transmitting the output indicative of the event causing the accelerations of the cargo and the location of the cargo to a site separate and apart from the container using a communication system coupled to the processor; and

generating a warning based on the output indicative of the event causing the accelerations of the cargo.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting at least one of the detected accelerations at a site off of the cargo based on data from a GPS system that determines the location of the cargo.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising applying a measurement unit correction to the detected accelerations.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cargo is situated in a container and the measurement unit, the processor and the communication system are arranged on the container.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said processor is configured to execute a pattern recognition algorithm when converting the data using pattern recognition.

13. A cargo monitoring arrangement arranged in conjunction with the cargo and that monitors the cargo when present in a container, comprising:

a measurement unit that detects accelerations of the cargo, said measurement unit including three accelerometers configured to detect acceleration in three orthogonal directions;

a processor coupled to said measurement unit and that monitors the accelerations of the cargo in the three orthogonal directions as detected by said measurement unit,

said processor being configured to use pattern recognition to convert data related to the accelerations of the cargo detected by said measurement unit into an output indicative of an event causing the accelerations of the cargo; and

said processor being configured to cause a warning to be generated based on the output indicative of the event causing the accelerations of the cargo; and

a communication system arranged on the container and that transmits information about the event causing the accelerations of the cargo to a site separate and apart from the container.

14. The arrangement of claim 13, wherein said measurement unit further comprises three gyroscopes that measure angular acceleration in three orthogonal directions.

15. The arrangement of claim 13, wherein said processor is configured to execute a pattern recognition algorithm when converting the data using pattern recognition.

16. The arrangement of claim 13, further comprising a location determining system arranged on the container and that determines a location of the container.